Hälsa & medicin

Researchers combined household surveys, satellite data, and travel time mapping to identify where infant mortality remains highest in Tanzania's urban areas. The findings could help governments and health organizations target limited resources to the most vulnerable populations and improve maternal and newborn care delivery across regions.EN

A study of 83 published patient-driven health innovations found that 78% reported no measurable outcomes for patients or the healthcare system. Researchers say the gap signals a missed opportunity for understanding which patient-designed solutions actually work—and where health systems should invest resources.EN

Researchers have pinpointed a gene that controls how muscle cells build and use fats, revealing a potential target for treating muscle weakness in aging populations. The discovery could inform development of therapies to preserve muscle function and mobility in older adults—a major public health and economic priority as aging populations strain healthcare systems worldwide.EN

A new trial found that adding disulfiram and copper to chemotherapy improved survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive brain cancers. The finding could reshape treatment protocols and open a new market for repurposed drugs in oncology.EN

A Swedish hospital trial of inhaled ciclesonide—a common asthma medication—found it did not reduce time on oxygen therapy for COVID-19 patients, compared to standard care. The finding contradicts earlier optimism about repurposing the drug and has implications for treatment protocols and pharmaceutical development strategies.EN

Researchers found that a protein called eEF2 significantly improves how the body repairs dense connective tissues by controlling cell death, growth, and movement. The discovery could lead to new treatments for chronic wounds and surgical recovery, with potential applications across wound care, orthopedics, and regenerative medicine industries.EN

Researchers analyzing Swedish national health records found that complete atrioventricular block—a serious heart condition affecting electrical signaling—clusters within families, suggesting genetic factors play a significant role. The finding could reshape how clinicians screen relatives of affected patients and inform genetic research into inherited cardiac diseases.EN

A new study finds that preterm births and stillbirths rose sharply during the pandemic, but the increases were concentrated in lower-income communities. The findings signal that healthcare access disparities, not the virus alone, drove worse pregnancy outcomes—a pattern with lasting implications for public health policy and maternal health investment.EN

Researchers have identified LRP1, a protein on cell surfaces, as a critical gateway that RNA viruses use to invade human cells. The discovery could reshape how companies develop antiviral drugs and vaccines, potentially opening new treatment strategies for diseases from COVID-19 to influenza.EN

Researchers have identified vitamin D receptor genetic variants linked to cluster headache susceptibility, potentially opening doors to personalized diagnosis and treatment. The finding could reshape how doctors approach one of medicine's most severe pain conditions, affecting pharmaceutical development and clinical practice guidelines.EN

Researchers in rural Bangladesh found that measuring oxygen levels in sick children can reliably identify those at highest risk of death from pneumonia. The finding could transform how clinicians in low-resource settings triage patients and allocate scarce hospital resources without expensive equipment.EN

A new study reveals that injured people's sense of wellbeing shifts dramatically as they adapt to their condition—a finding that challenges how healthcare systems measure treatment success. Understanding this 'response shift' could reshape how insurers, employers, and policymakers assess rehabilitation outcomes and plan long-term care strategies.EN

Women with mental illness in Sweden are far less likely to attend cervical cancer screenings and more likely to develop invasive disease, a new population study shows. The finding highlights a significant public health gap that screening programs and healthcare systems have failed to close, with direct implications for health equity and preventable disease burden.EN

A new Scandinavian study identifies significant differences in how registered nurses and nursing assistants handle missed care tasks—a critical marker of hospital quality and patient safety. The findings could reshape staffing decisions and training protocols for healthcare systems managing costs while maintaining care standards.EN

A major new study links pregnancy and birth factors—such as maternal weight and gestational diabetes—to cardiometabolic problems in obese children years later. The finding could reshape screening and prevention strategies for a generation facing epidemic obesity rates, with implications for healthcare costs and life insurance risk models.EN

Researchers have identified that shifts in patient medication patterns precede a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, potentially offering a new early-warning signal. The finding could reshape screening strategies and insurance data analysis, giving clinicians and health systems a measurable indicator to flag high-risk patients months before clinical symptoms emerge.EN

Researchers have identified molecular and epigenetic alterations in a widely used leukemia cell line, potentially improving how scientists understand cancer progression and test new treatments. The findings could help pharmaceutical companies and research institutions better predict which drug candidates will work against blood cancers.EN

Researchers found that different mutations in the desmin protein—which causes muscular dystrophy—break the cell's autophagy system through distinct mechanisms. The discovery suggests that one-size-fits-all drug approaches may fail, and personalized treatments targeting specific mutations could be necessary to restore muscle function.EN

A new population-based study finds that maternal depression or anxiety during pregnancy may increase the risk of type 1 diabetes in children. The finding could reshape prenatal care protocols and mental health screening for expectant mothers, with implications for public health systems and pediatric diabetes prevention strategies.EN

Researchers have identified measurable differences in how the brains of people with pedophilic disorder respond to sexual imagery, offering potential tools for diagnosis and treatment assessment. The finding could improve clinical approaches to managing the disorder and inform risk evaluation in justice and child protection systems.EN

A new study reveals that psychological fear—not just physical injury—prevents young athletes from returning to sports after ACL reconstruction. Understanding these mental barriers could reshape rehabilitation programs and reduce long-term career losses for the athletic population.EN

**Högre aktivitet i första behandlingsfraktionen optimerar neuroblastomaterapi** Lutetium-177-behandling med DOTATATE visar betydligt bättre tumördoser när aktiviteten ges uppdelat i två fraktioner med högre initial dos. LuDO-N-studien behandlade 14 patienter med högriskneuroblastom enligt ett dosimetriguidat schema: första fraktionen 200 MBq/kg, andra individuellt anpassad två till tre veckor senare. Tumörerna erhöll 53 procent lägre absorberad dos per injicerad aktivitet vid andra fraktionen, medan njur- och helkroppsdoserna minskade med 24 respektive 18 procent. Tumor-till-njur-förhållandet förbättrades med 44 procent mellan fraktionerna. Ingen bestående njurtoxicitet observerades; fyra patienter genomgick stamcellsåterinfusion. Resultaten stödjer en frontlastningsstrategi där högre initialdos maximerar tumörbestrålning. Karolinska Institutet och Princess Máxima Center anpassade därför protokollet till 400 MBq/kg första fraktionen för kommande patienter. Fynd direkt påverkar inköpsbeslut och behandlingsprotokoll inom molekylär radioonkologi.

**Megaproteser överträffar biologiska rekonstruktioner vid bäckenresektioner för cancertumörer** Kirurgisk behandling av mellanliggande och elakartade bäckentumörer medför höga komplikationsrisker. En systematisk litteraturöversikt av 90 studier med 2 199 patienter visar att infektioner förekommer i 15 procent av fallen, sårsäringsproblem i 13 procent och trombos i 4 procent. Implantatet behövde bytas eller avlägsnas hos 14 procent. Återanvändning av benvariga material (biologiska rekonstruktioner) gav sämre resultat än skräddarsydda metallproteser: högre frekvens av nervskador, implantatfel och behov av omoperationer. Biologiska rekonstruktioner ledde också oftare till sekundär hemipelvektomi jämfört med metallproteser eller ingen rekonstruktion. Fynden kommer från Karolinska Institutet tillsammans med europeiska och brittiska centrum. För regionvården innebär detta att protetisk rekonstruktion bör prioriteras vid urval av operationsmetod för att minska omoperationsfrekvensen och långtidsmorbiditeten.

Researchers have developed a tool to assess the right balance of human authority versus AI autonomy in aircraft systems. The framework could help airlines and regulators determine when AI assistants should decide independently versus when pilots must retain control—a critical question as automation in cockpits expands.EN

Scientists found that giving young chickens more playtime physically enlarges their brains and makes them more exploratory and social later in life. The discovery has implications for animal welfare standards in farming and suggests play may be crucial for cognitive development across species—including potentially humans.EN